UAV landing systems and methods

Abstract

Example UAV landing systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a landing platform includes a conveyor belt capable of supporting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The conveyor belt can move in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite the first direction. The landing platform also includes a first positioning bumper and a second positioning bumper, where the first positioning bumper and the second positioning bumper are capable of repositioning the UAV on the conveyor belt. The landing platform further includes a cradle that can receive and secure the UAV.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A landing platform system comprising:
 a conveyor belt configured to support at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the conveyor belt further configured to controllably move in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite the first direction; 
 a first positioning bumper configured to controllably actuate between a first extended position and a first retracted position; 
 a second positioning bumper configured to controllably actuate between a second extended position and a second retracted position; 
 a plurality of cradles each configured to selectively receive and secure an individual UAV of the at least one UAV supported by the conveyor belt, and each further configured to controllably provide one or more support functions to the individual UAV once selectively received and secured; and 
 a processor configured to:
 selectively control actuation of the first positioning bumper and the second positioning bumper to position a first UAV of the at least one UAV on the conveyor belt, 
 determine a characteristic of the first UAV, 
 determine which of the plurality of cradles are currently empty, 
 determine one or more of the one or more support functions that can be provided by each of the plurality of cradles that are currently empty based on the characteristic of the first UAV, 
 select a particular cradle of the plurality of cradles that are empty as a destination for the first UAV based on the characteristic of the first UAV and the one or more of the one or more support functions that can be provided by the particular cradle, 
 selectively control the conveyor belt, the first positioning bumper, and the second positioning bumper to adjust a rotational orientation of the first UAV to align the first UAV on the conveyor belt such that the first UAV aligns with the particular cradle, 
 detect that the first UAV aligns with the particular cradle, and 
 upon detecting that the first UAV aligns with the particular cradle, selectively control the conveyor belt to move in the first direction or the second direction depending on which direction the particular cradle is in relative to the first UAV, selectively control the particular cradle to receive and secure the first UAV, and selectively control the particular cradle to controllably provide the one or more of the one or more support functions that can be provided by the particular cradle to the first UAV. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The landing platform system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 when the processor selects the particular cradle of the plurality of cradles that are empty as the destination for the first UAV based on the characteristic of the first UAV and the one or more of the one or more support functions that can be provided by the particular cradle, the processor first determines a priority for each of the one or more support functions that can be provided by each of the plurality of cradles that are currently empty based on the characteristic of the first UAV, and selects the particular cradle of the plurality of cradles based on the priority of each of the one or more support functions that can be provided by each of the plurality of cradles that are currently empty; and 
 when the processor selectively controls the particular cradle to controllably provide the one or more of the one or more support functions that can be provided by the particular cradle, the processor further utilizes the priority for each of the one or more of the one or more support functions that can be provided by the particular cradle. 
 
     
     
       3. The landing platform system of  claim 1 , wherein the first positioning bumper and the second positioning bumper are selectively controlled to operate as at least one pivot point wherein a movement of the conveyer belt one of pulls or pushes the first UAV to change the rotational orientation of the first UAV on the conveyor belt about the at least one pivot point. 
     
     
       4. The landing platform system of  claim 1 , wherein the particular cradle includes at least one mechanical grasper configured to engage a support structure of the first UAV to receive and secure the first UAV to the particular cradle. 
     
     
       5. The landing platform system of  claim 1 , wherein the landing platform system further comprises a delivery vehicle that carries at least one item to be delivered by the at least one UAV, and wherein the conveyor belt, the first positioning bumper, the second positioning bumper, the processor, and the plurality of cradles are each mounted in, on, or to the delivery vehicle. 
     
     
       6. The landing platform system of  claim 1 , wherein the conveyer belt includes corrugations oriented orthogonal to a direction of travel of the at least one UAV on the conveyer belt, the corrugations configured to reduce slippage of the at least one UAV on the conveyer belt. 
     
     
       7. The landing platform system of  claim 1 , wherein the landing platform system further comprises the at least one UAV. 
     
     
       8. The landing platform system of  claim 1 , wherein the first positioning bumper comprises a first bumper arm and the second positioning bumper comprises a second bumper arm. 
     
     
       9. A landing platform comprising:
 a conveyor belt configured to support at least one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the conveyor belt further configured to controllably move in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite the first direction; 
 a first positioning bumper; 
 a second positioning bumper, wherein the first positioning bumper and the second positioning bumper are each configured to controllably actuate between an extended position and a retracted position; 
 a first cradle provided on a first side of the conveyer belt, the first cradle configured to, when currently empty, controllably receive a first UAV of the at least one UAV when the conveyer belt moves the first UAV in the first direction, and to controllably provide one or more first support functions to the first UAV once received; 
 a second cradle provided on a second side of the conveyer belt, the second cradle configured to, when currently empty, controllably receive the first UAV of the at least one UAV when the conveyer belt moves the first UAV in the second direction, and to controllably provide one or more second support functions to the first UAV once received; and 
 a processor configured to:
 selectively control actuation of the first positioning bumper and the second positioning bumper to position the first UAV of the at least one UAV on the conveyor belt, 
 determine a characteristic of the first UAV, 
 determine whether the first cradle is currently empty, 
 determine whether the second cradle is currently empty, 
 when the first cradle is currently empty and the second cradle is not currently empty, control the conveyor belt to move in the first direction, 
 when the second cradle is currently empty and the first cradle is not currently empty, control the conveyor belt to move in the second direction, 
 when the first cradle is currently empty and the second cradle is currently empty, select either the first cradle and control the conveyor belt to move in the first direction or the second cradle and control the conveyor belt to move in the second direction, wherein the selection is based on at least the characteristic of the first UAV, 
 selectively control the conveyor belt, the first positioning bumper, and the second positioning bumper to adjust a rotational orientation of the first UAV to align the first UAV on the conveyor belt such that the first UAV aligns with either the first cradle when the conveyor belt moves in the first direction or the second cradle when the conveyor belt moves in the second direction, 
 selectively control either the first cradle when the first UAV aligns with the first cradle or the second cradle when the first UAV aligns with the second cradle, to receive the first UAV, and 
 selectively control either the first cradle to provide the one or more first support functions to the first UAV when the first UAV has been received by the first cradle or the second cradle to provide the one or more second support functions to the first UAV when the first UAV has been received by the second cradle. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The landing platform of  claim 9 , wherein the selection by the processor based on at least the characteristic of the first UAV is further based on comparing a first association between the characteristic of the first UAV and the one or more first support functions with a second association between the characteristic of the first UAV and the one or more second support functions. 
     
     
       11. The landing platform of  claim 10 , wherein the conveyor belt is configured to move the first UAV toward the first cradle when moving in the first direction or toward the second cradle when moving in the second direction such that the first UAV engages with the one of the first cradle or the second cradle when the first UAV reaches a respective edge of the conveyor belt. 
     
     
       12. The landing platform of  claim 9 , wherein the first positioning bumper and the second positioning bumper are selectively controlled to operate as at least one pivot point wherein a movement of the conveyor belt one of pulls or pushes the first UAV to change the rotational orientation of the first UAV on the conveyer belt about the at least one pivot point. 
     
     
       13. The landing platform of  claim 9 , wherein one of the one or more first support functions or the one or more second support functions includes enabling the first UAV to one of load or unload a payload when received by the one of the first cradle or the second cradle. 
     
     
       14. The landing platform of  claim 9 , wherein the landing platform further comprises a delivery vehicle that carries at least one item to be delivered by the at least one UAV, and wherein the conveyor belt, the first positioning bumper, the second positioning bumper, the processor, and the plurality of cradles are each mounted in, on, or to the delivery vehicle. 
     
     
       15. A method comprising:
 receiving a first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on a landing platform; 
 selectively controlling actuation of a first positioning bumper and a second positioning bumper each between an extended position and a retracted position to position the first UAV on a conveyor belt of the landing platform configured to controllably move in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite the first direction; 
 determining a characteristic of the first UAV at a processor of the landing platform; 
 determining, at the processor, whether a first cradle of the landing platform at a first end of the conveyor belt is currently empty; 
 determining, at the processor, whether a second cradle of the landing platform at a second end of the conveyor belt, opposite the first end, is currently empty; 
 when the first cradle is currently empty and the second cradle is not currently empty, controlling, using the processor, the conveyor belt to move in the first direction; 
 when the second cradle is currently empty and the first cradle is not currently empty, controlling, using the processor, the conveyor belt to move in the second direction; 
 when the first cradle is currently empty and the second cradle is currently empty, selecting, by the processor, either the first cradle and controlling the conveyor belt to move in the first direction, or the second cradle and controlling the conveyor belt to move in the second direction, wherein the selection by the processor is based on at least the characteristic of the first UAV; 
 selectively controlling, using the processor, the conveyor belt, the first positioning bumper, and the second positioning bumper to adjust a rotational orientation of the first UAV to align the first UAV on the conveyor belt such that the first UAV aligns with either the first cradle when the conveyor belt moves in the first direction or the second cradle when the conveyor belt moves in the second direction; 
 selectively controlling, using the processor, either the first cradle when the first UAV is aligned with the first cradle or the second cradle when the first UAV is aligned with the second cradle, to receive the first UAV; and 
 selectively controlling, using the processor, either the first cradle to provide one or more first support functions to the first UAV when the first UAV is received by the first cradle or the second cradle to provide one or more second support functions to the first UAV when the first UAV is received by the second cradle. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first positioning bumper and the second positioning bumper are selectively controlled to operate as at least one pivot point wherein a movement of the conveyor belt one of pulls or pushes the first UAV to change the rotational orientation of the first UAV on the conveyer belt about the at least one pivot point. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more first support functions or the one or more second support functions include loading or unloading a payload carried by or to be carried by the first UAV after the first UAV is received by the first cradle or the second cradle. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more first support functions or the one or more second support functions include charging a battery of the first UAV after the first UAV is received by the first cradle or the second cradle. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving a second UAV on the landing platform while the first UAV is received in the first cradle, the first cradle providing the one or more first support functions to the first UAV; and 
 repeating the method steps so as to have the second UAV received by the second cradle, the second cradle providing the one or more second support functions to the second UAV. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of selectively controlling actuation of the first positioning bumper and the second positioning bumper to position the first UAV on the conveyor belt of the landing platform further comprises:
 selecting, by the processor, one of the first positioning bumper or the second positioning bumper; 
 selectively controlling actuation of, by the processor, an unselected one of the first positioning bumper or the second positioning bumper into the retracted position; and 
 selectively controlling actuation of, by the processor, the selected one of the first positioning bumper or the second positioning bumper into the extended position.